Chapter 3

Kogen looked at the envelope he had just picked up, looking at it with a curious, yet greedy gleam in his eyes. He looked at the back, then at the front. The envelope was slim, prim, and white in colour. There was no information of the sender, receiver or any form of an address. At the front, where it was sealed, instead of a post stamp, was a wax seal. It was red and had an intricate design. Kogen brought it closer to his face, looking at the seal up close. It was a picture, a picture of what he assumed to be a gate. The gates hung slightly open as if inviting someone in. At the sides of the gates were small cravings of hands, thin, bony hands, reaching out towards the gates.

It was an odd seal. Kogen looked at it, continuing to flip the envelope back and forth. He sat at his workspace, wondering what was inside? What could be so important that it had a seal? He thought about it. He heard Apollo had gotten a new job in the investigation department. Kogen himself hadn't heard the whole thing since he was too busy with a late-night client, but he did know that Apollo changed department. Besides, Apollo was the one who dropped the envelope, so it must have something to do with him.

Kogen tried to think about it. The investigation department, it could be some important information regarding their investigations. It could also be a letter sent to Apollo under some important business deal. Scratching his head, he tried to think about the best course of action.

"Not off your break yet?" The person that worked next to his cubical asked.

"I'm still on break for another five minutes." Kogen replied.

He turned back to the envelope and came up with a particular idea. It was most likely related to Apollo and considering it was the first day of his transfer, it was most likely Apollo's paycheck. If he was correct, the investigation department paid quite well. He tried to feel what was underneath, his heart quickening the more he felt the outline of the content. It was rectangular, it was familiar. He shook his head, not wanting to believe it so soon. He pulled out his own wallet, pulling a note of his own out. He pressed it against the envelope, feeling the outline of the content with the bill. It was slightly larger than a fifty, so he assumed it was a hundred. He slowly cracked a smile, his fingers twitching to rip it open. He felt the thickness, feeling that there was most likely several of the bills too, though he wasn't sure how much.

Kogen paused for a moment, thinking things through. Apollo was an ex-colleague, was it really alright to do it? Kogen tapped the table. Apollo had just gotten his promotion, and for all Kogen knew, the bills in front of him could be his hourly wage. Besides, he had just seen Apollo leave the building, so he didn't really work the whole day, did he? Kogen's eyes darted around the noisy and chatter office, the sounds of typing and scratching of pen against paper made him slightly paranoid.

He stood up, slipping the envelope into his pocket and walked away. His heart was thumping, and his palms were sweaty. His eyes darted around the office, not wanting to be noticed by anyone. He wanted to do it somewhere safe, somewhere where no one could see. If anyone saw him opening the letter, and if it was important, he could get into a lot of trouble.

Kogen was a cautious, yet daring man. He walked as normally as he could while observing what was around him. His left hand was constantly in his pocket, checking if the envelope was still there. He left the building without much attention being drawn to him. He slipped behind the building, to a darker corner where he knew no one would go. He pulled the envelope out, his hands shaking as he stared at it. It was so enticing, money was so enticing for Kogen. Just having money in his hands almost made him want to drool.

He looked around one last time and pulled out his lighter. Unlike Apollo, he wasn't a heavy smoker, but he has had several occasions when he did smoke one or two. He flicked down, and a small flame was produced, shining brightly in the dim corner. He saw as the wax melted, the features of the gate and hands seemingly swirling together. Almost like an illusion, in his mind, he envisioned a gate that opened to either side, swing wide open in front of him.

He stared into the gates, and he blinked, staring at the ground, where there was a small puddle of red wax. He flicked the lighter off immediately and stuffed it into his back pocket. With his hands trembling, sweat dripping from his chin, He dipped open the envelope. When he did, all the sweat disappeared. He looked up, and he saw something like a black smoke coming from the envelope. He panicked, thinking he had accidentally burnt something.

However, the letter was unaffected. The black smoke disappeared after a second of two, Kogen thought it was probably a special effect of some sort. He looked into the envelope, a sense of anticipation building up inside of him. When he saw what was inside, he felt like punching the wall. Inside, was nothing but a measly piece of paper. He pulled the paper out aggressively, more out of confusion than anything. He unfolded the paper that had been folded over four times. He read what was in it, in case it had Apollo's bank account or something.

He read the clear text. The words seemed to form as he read, which was odd.

The words were:

'Dear Kogen Toksony Sul Ovan. We are honoured and grateful to have you accept our invitation. Now, the party will be held three days after you have read this letter. Please do be reminded to look your best. The place will be on one avenue street, 2:00 pm. In the end, you will be in a car, and a tree beside you. We wish for a most painful arrival filled with screams.'

"The fuck is this..." Kogen muttered, flipping the letter.

What kind of prank letter was it? It seemed almost comical with how formal it was, and even then, it made no sense. Besides, almost no one knew his full name. People recognised him as just Kogen Toksony, no one has ever referred to him as Kogen Toksony Sul Ovan before. He doubted his colleagues knew, and he doubted his bosses remembered. His family knew, but even then, they would never refer to him with his full name.

So how did the latter have his full name?

He thought about it. It must have been a prank by Apollo, it must be. There was no other explanation for it. Apollo had wanted to prank him, so he made it a prank to laugh when Kogen approached him. Kogen scowled, not one to be fond of pranks. He ripped the paper apart and stomped off, fuming. If Apollo thought he could mess with him so simply, Kogen could hit him right back. He knew where Apollo lived, he wasn't afraid.

On the ground, left there, the shreds of paper. Soft, a very soft noise could be heard.

Laughs, cries, screams.

The sounds lasted only a few seconds before they silenced themselves. Kogen stomped through town, the passer-bys all looking at him questionably. Kogen ignored all of them, looking forward with a mean glare.